The regime of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has been accused of profiting from the Marange diamond fields, garnering illicit funds that could be used to bolster his oppressive security forces. Now critics are alleging the government is failing to stop mining-waste pollution that is sickening livestock and local villagers. READ MORE

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Some experts estimate that the Marange diamond fields, spread across 250 square miles of semi-arid scrubland and forest in Zimbabwe, could hold as many as one-quarter of the world’s diamond deposits. Here, workers for a joint venture between a Zimbabwean firm and a Chinese company, Anjin, excavate the land for diamonds. (Photo by Tendai Muranda)